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Exclusive survey results and practical advice from experts and executives in the Green Industry When everything’s running right, there’s nothing better than a family business,” says Paul Sessions, director of the University of New Haven’s Center for Family Business in Connecticut. “When it’s not, it’s really tough.” Chances are, as a member of the Green Industry, you either own, work... read more

Meet Bob Dobson, president of Middletown (N.J.) Sprinkler Co., and president of the Irrigation Association. Who’s your mentor? Phil DeMarco, who owned an irrigation distributorship in South Jersey. Phil and I have spoken daily for nearly 40 years. As a young contractor, Phil was my “go to” person. He is who I called when I had a question, when I... read more

A Tucson-based landscape company finds a unique niche in the maintenance market. Given Arizona’s desert landscape, xeriscaping is often a necessity. As a result, many landscape companies here don’t have a strong focus on traditional landscape maintenance. Instead, they drive much of their revenue from design/build projects with hardscaping. Still, when clients kept asking Sonoran Gardens in Tucson to tackle... read more

Question: We work in a very competitive market and quite often our clients want to negotiate the price when we present the proposal. We don’t want to artificially inflate the prices to give us some wiggle room, but we also don’t want to lose money. What’s the best way to handle this?—Edward Thompson, Sunrise Landscape, Milton, Ontario Answer: The short... read more

Ohio’s Applicator of the Year proves there’s more to quality lawn care than fertilizer. Matt Tyler takes out the trash. He rakes the leaves, mows the lawn, even brings in the groceries. No, that’s not life at home. Those are some of the extra steps Tyler takes for his lawn care customers on the job. And they’re just a few... read more

Educating clients about the benefits of leaving lawn clippings is an obstacle. Mike Maddrell, owner of Echelon Landscape Maintenance, Dublin, Ohio, knows the favorable attributes and science behind allowing leaves and clippings to decompose naturally on lawns. Maddrell studied turf management at The Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute, Wooster, Ohio. But he also knows his customers. “I’ve tried in... read more